One Battle After Another Locks in Digital Release: When Will It Stream on HBO Max?

Paul Thomas Anderson has a new one in theaters, and if you missed it on the big screen, the digital window might be opening fast. Here is what I am hearing about when you can watch 'One Battle After Another' at home, when it might hit streaming, and how it is actually doing out in the wild.

PVOD is reportedly right around the corner

Per When to Stream, 'One Battle After Another' is expected to hit premium video-on-demand on November 14. Warner Bros. has not confirmed that date yet, but the plan would be the usual: buy or rent on the major platforms. Think Apple TV, Prime Video, Fandango at Home, and YouTube.

Prime Video already has the film up for preorder at $24.99 to buy. Rentals are expected to land around $19.99 for a 48-hour window once the switch flips.

Quick refresher: this is an R-rated drama that opened in theaters on September 26 and runs a hefty 2 hours and 50 minutes. The cast is stacked: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Teyana Taylor, and Regina Hall.

So when does it stream on Max?

Short answer: not official yet. Longer answer: Warner Bros. has been dropping its titles on Max (formerly HBO Max) about 70 to 80 days after theatrical lately. Recent examples look like this: 'Mickey 17' (March 17, 2025 theatrical) to May 23, 2025 streaming; 'A Minecraft Movie' (April 4, 2025) to June 20, 2025; 'Sinners' (April 18, 2025) to July 4, 2025; 'Superman' (July 11, 2025) to September 19, 2025. If 'One Battle After Another' follows the same playbook, you are looking at mid-December for streaming, with December 14, 2024 floated as a likely landing spot. Again: not confirmed.

• Theatrical: September 26
• PVOD (reported): November 14 - buy on day one, rentals around $19.99 for 48 hours
• Streaming on Max (projected): around December 14, 2024, based on WB's recent 70-80 day window

Reviews are glowing, the box office... less so

Critics have been all over this since day one. As of now, the film sits at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes from 400-plus reviews, with audiences at 85%. IMDb has it at 8.2/10.

Money-wise, it is been a tougher climb. According to The Numbers, the movie has pulled in $68.7 million domestic and $124.1 million internationally, for $192.8 million worldwide. The reported budget is $140 million, so it is not exactly racing past the break-even point. To be fair, that is kind of the Paul Thomas Anderson tradition: adored by critics, slower with general audiences, and then it finds its people once it hits home.

The bottom line

If you are waiting to watch at home, November looks like your PVOD month, with Max likely in mid-December if Warner Bros. sticks to its pattern. Given the long runtime and the word-of-mouth from critics, I would not be surprised if this one gets a second wind when it lands on living room screens.